Meanwhile, Lucien's much-anticipated Clark Kent had already arrived at a restaurant to apply for a job and successfully became a waiter with a daily wage of $35.
The job wasn't easy, but Clark found it fulfilling.
Unfortunately!
It was as if he was cursed—no matter where he went, he couldn't stay for long. On his very first day, trouble found him.
"What are you looking at? Wanna hit me? Come on! Do it!"
The man in front of him wasn't even shoulder-height to Clark, yet he was brimming with confidence, relentlessly provoking him. He even poured a glass of water over Clark's head.
Clark was furious. He really wanted to teach this overconfident man a lesson.
But his colleague beside him urged him to stay calm.
Clark took a deep breath, thinking that maybe this place wasn't for him.
Coincidentally, while carrying plates earlier, he had overheard a few soldiers chatting about a place called Ellesmere Island. Apparently, the U.S. military had discovered something there, and helicopters had been circling the area frequently lately.
His instincts told him that what he had been searching for might be there.
Perhaps... it was time to leave.
Clark looked at the man still taunting him, then untied his apron and walked away without a word.
"Fuck~! What a spineless coward! Get lost!"
A soda can was hurled at him, bouncing off Clark's back before clattering to the ground.
Clark paused mid-step, his fists clenching involuntarily.
Memories from his childhood resurfaced.
Back then, it had been the same—school bullies would torment him like this. But his father had always advised him to endure, because the world wasn't ready for someone like him yet.
But... it was so frustrating!
Anger burned inside Clark, but he didn't turn back. Instead, he kept walking, leaving the restaurant behind.
Once outside, Clark glanced back. His keen hearing still caught the mocking laughter from inside, especially from that short guy.
His gaze swept around until he quickly spotted the truck the short man had arrived in, still loaded with a batch of lumber.
A faint smile crossed Clark's lips as he strode purposefully toward it.
A little over half an hour later;
The short man emerged from the restaurant, belly full and face beaming with satisfaction.
But the moment he saw his truck, his smile vanished instantly.
"What the fuck?!"
The truck looked as if it had been ravaged by a tornado—completely totaled. The logs that had been loaded onto it were now speared through the vehicle like giant skewers, lifting the truck off the ground.
The man frantically looked around. Everything else was fine—even the other trucks parked just a few meters away were untouched. Only his...
"Dear God! What the hell happened?!"
With a thud, the man collapsed to his knees, utterly despairing.
The truck wasn't even his—it belonged to the company. In its current state, he was going to have to pay through the nose for it!
Not only would he lose his job, but he'd also be buried under a mountain of debt. The years ahead would likely be spent slaving away just to repay it.
And that could take over a decade—maybe even twenty years!
The man couldn't imagine how bleak his life would become.
He knew he was finished!
Meanwhile, Clark, the mastermind behind all this, had already embarked on his journey to Ellesmere Island.
...
Back in the Lucien's original world;
When Lucien opened his eyes again, daylight was streaming through the window.
The alarm clock on his bedside desk showed 6:00 AM.
"Felt just like a normal night's sleep," Lucien chuckled to himself.
Although he hadn't achieved his main objective during this trip to the American comics world, he was getting close. Before returning, he'd already booked a room in Smallville and prepaid for five nights.
"Clark probably won't return that quickly—he'll likely be stuck there for several days," Lucien thought. But waiting a few days was no problem for him.
No big deal!
He got up, brushed his teeth, and washed his face.
After breakfast, it was just the right time to head to school.
Shouldering his backpack and grabbing his keys, Lucien left for school.
Such was the life of living alone—you had to handle everything yourself.
Today was Friday, with the weekend starting tomorrow.
Along the way, Lucien encountered several classmates from Teitan High School, exchanging greetings with familiar faces before quickly arriving at school.
In Classroom 2-B...
As Lucien took his seat, someone plopped down in front of him.
"Morning, Lucien!" Sonoko greeted him with a cheerful grin.
"Good morning, Suzuki-san," Lucien responded with a smile.
"You look well-rested today! There's something different about you," Sonoko observed, studying Lucien closely. There was a new air of confidence about him.
"Yeah, no insomnia last night—slept straight through," Lucien replied with a laugh.
Finally activating his cheat had lifted a weight off his shoulders, naturally improving his overall demeanor.
Sonoko was surprisingly perceptive.
"See? That's more like it!" Sonoko beamed as she pulled out a ticket and handed it to him. "Here—a ticket for tomorrow's karate championship finals. It's yours!"
"For me?" Lucien accepted it curiously. "May I ask why?"
"To get more people cheering for Ran, of course!" Sonoko giggled. "You must come, okay? See you there!"
"Huh?"
Watching Sonoko walk away, Lucien looked down at the ticket in his hand.
"National Karate Championship?"
Searching his memories, it suddenly clicked.
This was the exact event before Shinichi Kudo shrank into Conan!
After Ran won the championship, they'd planned to celebrate at Tropical Land, where Shinichi's nosiness led him to tail Gin and Vodka, ultimately getting caught and forced to take APTX4869, transforming him into a child.
Thus began the disappearance of Shinichi Kudo and the rise of Conan Edogawa!